Were the beautiful, happening women of Calcutta innocently sipping Darjeeling tea at the fabulous Raj-themed bar of Threesixtythree°? Well yes, in a manner of speaking, but it was a specially crafted cocktail called Bengali Tea – a potent mix of cognac, rum, and Darjeeling tea with a touch of cinnamon and rose. And there was more. Something named Rose 75, which had rose extract combined with gin and lemon juice and East of Eden, another colorful cocktail with vodka, vermouth and pomegranate juice. Some women held these to match their outfits, quite fittingly.

This was aperitif time, with Shashank Kapur, the celebrity bartender of the day indulgently assisting some of the women to prepare cocktails like Espresso Martinis and Margaritas.

There were others, who were drawn to the experimental sushi table, presided over by Japanese specialty chef Raul Borja. He patiently took them through the process of sushi making, as the chef slivered the fish for the salmon maki which turned out to be a big hit, both in the making and the eating of it, dipped in unagi sauce.  The vegetarians loved their mushroom maki. The marble slab was assiduously cleaned and turned by the chef for the veg versions. And he made sure we washed our manicured paws before attempting to roll the maki.

High on chatter and camaraderie, and having admired the wainscoting and the Company School of Art portraits looking avuncularly down on us, we moved to the main food space, awash with mellow sunshine through the skylight in the center. It could be termed a casual-fine dining area, not coffee shop any more, but something far more elegant, upped. Indigo dominates as a color, (remember the Neel revolt?), red leather upholstery, the usage of brass, all combining with contemporary elements of décor.

Here was the moveable feast—a massive selection of world cuisine: European, Lebanese, Japanese, Mexican, Indian. Plenty of Southeast Asian, some typically British dishes − too many varieties to note!  Dozens of salads, live chaats, an array of worldwide cheeses and cold cuts, classic sushis, wood-fired pizzas and many deconstructed Grand Legacy dishes. Like the little prawn cocktails, croquets and an Anglo-Indian Railway mutton curry.

We were introduced to the Awadhi specials, executed by Chef Tahir Qureshi, nephew incidentally of the famed Imtiaz Qureshi. The flavors ranged from delicate to rich from the light biryani, to the dal gharana and paneer sufiyani tikka, the Awadhi murgh masala and a hot favorite – the moong daal gosth mughlai.

Kuch meethaa − a selection from the bespoke single origin desserts. We of course opted for the nolen gur ice cream.

Since this is a single-event peep-see, we will wait to delve another time into the all-time classic signature dishes (like the smoked hilsa) from the a la carte menu, or when we decide on a languorous buffet lunch at Rs. 1,450 plus taxes.

Address: 15, Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, Kolkata – 700013. Ph: 033 2249 2323.

Were the beautiful, happening women of Calcutta innocently sipping Darjeeling tea at the fabulous Raj-themed bar of Threesixtythree°? Well yes, in a manner of speaking, but it was a specially crafted cocktail called Bengali Tea – a potent mix of cognac, rum, and Darjeeling tea with a touch of cinnamon and rose. An